La Salle beats Central in five innings for District 12-6A title
WARMINSTER >> La Salle followed up one championship with another.
After a 3-2, eight-inning thriller against Archbishop Wood on Tuesday, which earned the Explorers the Philadelphia Catholic League title, La Salle was back at it on Thursday, in the District 12-6A Final against Central.
One solid swing of the bat by Joe Cattie helped point the way to victory.
“Coach (Kyle) Werman said with a guy like that (pitcher Owen Woodward), you gotta relax, take your medicine, just shoot one to the right side and get a little single,” Cattie said. “It doesn’t have to be pretty. Just do your job and break it open.”
Cattie’s two-run single in the fourth extended the Explorer lead to 7-2. La Salle would score five more in the fifth and finish things off in the bottom half, winning 12-2 in five innings over the Lancers.
“Everybody’s been great. Everybody’s been on board,” said Cattie. “Everybody’s been so cheerful for each other, ready to keep winning and ready to keep kicking down barrels.”
The win advances La Salle to a Monday showdown with Hatboro-Horsham in the first round of the PIAA-6A Tournament. Central will play the runner-up from District One that same day.
After Evan Holahan’s RBI single helped put the Lancers in front, 2-0, in the first, La Salle went to work in the second.
A ground ball by Nick Astolfi scored one run and a sac fly by Jephson Hadson-Taylor scored another, evening things up at two.
After La Salle plated one run on a throwing error by Central, Brian Baquero knocked a pair in to widen the margin to 5-2.
Cattie’s hit in the fourth made it a five-run lead, and in addition to his play at the plate, the senior made a pair of diving catches in right.
“I started off this year as a first baseman. You go wherever they need you, wherever you can make the biggest impact,” he said. “I’ve done a pretty good job adjusting to right field and I got some pretty good angles on those baseballs. It’s a championship game so you gotta lay it out a little bit, put your body on the line.”
Said Werman: “He made two spectacular plays.”
Key hits by Jake Whitlinger (2-for-4, 2 R, RBI), Eric Shandler, Mason Sermarini (3-for-4, 2 R, RBI) and Machita (double, 2-for-4, 2 RBI) finished things off in the fifth.
La Salle also got a solid start from right hander Emmett McLaughlin, and Connor Crabree pitched the final scoreless inning in relief.
“Emmett did a great job,” Werman said. “He works really quick, pitches to contact. You’re gonna get competitive pitches for strikes.
“We did a good job adjusting (at the plate). They had a lefty out there and he was throwing multiple pitches for strikes. Our guys had to adjust and have a good plan and I thought we put barrels on the balls early. It didn’t get rewarded right away but eventually the game comes to you.”
Two titles down, possibly one more to go.
“It’s awesome. Any time you can win a championship, that’s meaningful,” Werman said. “You go into the gym at La Salle and you see all the teams, and it’s gonna be cool to see 2021, PCL Champs and City Champs. And now we have a bigger goal to go for here – the state tournament.”
Said Cattie: “It feels amazing. We had a high point (on Tuesday), winning the PCL Championship, and to come back, refocus and win today, that’s big time.”
